PNI Foundation Launches Hearing Aid Recycling Program

by Amelia Garrison

Obtaining a hearing aid that remedies an individual’s unique hearing loss can make a significant impact on their quality of life. Now, qualifying individuals can receive hearing assistance and the care they need.

A world without sound

Imagine a world in which you can no longer hear someone say “I love you.” You can’t communicate with your family and friends on the phone anymore. You can’t hear your child laugh. Those who suffer hearing loss can become isolated and removed from many aspects of everyday life that are taken for granted.

Hearing impairment and deafness are serious disabilities that can impose heavy social and economic burdens on individuals, families, communities, and even countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 430 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss. Yet, the current annual production of hearing aids meets less than 10% of that need.

PNI Foundation finds a solution

With your support and device donations, Pacific Neuroscience Institute Foundation (PNIF) is addressing the drastic need for hearing aids in our community with the Hearing Aid Recycling Program (HARP). They are meeting the challenge by providing hearing aids to low-income, hearing-impaired individuals who otherwise have no access to the world of sound.

The program is run by Dr. Chester Griffiths and Dr. Courtney Voelker, expert Otolaryngologists at Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI), as well as Dr. Gregroy Frazer, Audiologist at Pacifc Hearing Inc.

Why hearing aids?

Hearing aids are small electronic devices that make some sounds louder so that a person with hearing loss can listen, communicate, and participate more fully in daily activities.

A hearing aid can help people hear better in both quiet and noisy situations. They are primarily useful in improving the hearing and speech comprehension of people who have hearing loss that results from damage to the small sensory cells in the inner ear, called hair cells.

A hearing aid magnifies sound vibrations entering the ear. Surviving hair cells detect the larger vibrations, converting them into neural signals that are passed along to the brain.

Get a hearing aid

To quality for a hearing aid, you must be a) hearing loss diagnosed and documented by a licensed audiologist, b) low income with no health insurance or c) low income with health insurance but no coverage for hearing aids.

Learn if you or a loved one qualifies for a hearing aid. Call 310-909-0180 for direct inquiries, or fill out the contact form.

Give the gift of hearing

A hearing aid that is no longer being used can make a remarkable difference in the life of someone who cannot afford one. You can donate all types of hearing aids, regardless of age, brand, or model. All hearing aids are accepted, no matter their condition, and can be refurbished to help someone else. The process is fast and easy.

With the help of your donation and through our PNIF Hearing Aid Recycling Program, we can ensure that every patient has access to hearing aids regardless of financial means.
Dr. Chester Griffiths

More information: 310-909-0180

About Dr. Chester Griffiths

Chester Griffiths, MD, FACS, is board certified in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He has extensive 30-year experience in endoscopic endonasal sinus surgery for skull base tumors and pituitary tumors, sinonasal cancers including mucosal melanomas, and in the treatment of facial and nasal trauma, cosmetic deformities, sinus infections, and disorders of smell and taste. He treats sleep apnea, snoring, difficulty breathing, disorders of the larynx, thyroid tumors, and other head and neck cancers with an emphasis on viral HPV-related cancers.

About Dr. Courtney Voelker

Courtney Voelker, MD, PhD, is a Rhodes Scholar and board-certified neurotologist. She is Director of the Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. She is an otolaryngology – head & neck surgeon who takes care of adult and pediatric patients seeing a wide range of inner ear conditions. A Super Doctor Rising Star award recipient, she is committed to offering high-quality, compassionate care to all her patients.